Incorrect Thoughts
by Alive At Last
Summary: PonyTwoBit friendship fic. After Johnny and Dally's deaths, Ponyboy has been having some serious thoughts. Seriously wrong thoughts. Continued from OneShot COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

A little one-shot I found on my computer while looking around and I reread it and thought it deserved to be on here. I guess...

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I just couldn't sleep. I was up, reading a book for school and watching Soda sleep. He does look like a Greek God come to Earth. What was the Greek God of beauty? Balder? Wait, Balder is the Norse God of beauty. Either way, Soda is still really handsome. Even a year after Dally and Johnny's death. I remember their deaths clearly:

Johnny and I rushed into the burning church, Dally and that Jerry Wood character yelling at us to get the hell out. We go the kids out, then Johnny got me out. A piece of timber caught his back, Dally's fist caught mine. Then, Dally got Johnny out, gettin' burnt himself. We found that Johnny would be crippled if he lived. If. It was always 'if'. But he didn't make it. He told me that sixteen years wasn't long enough. It wasn't. He didn't wanna die at that moment. But he did. God took his life away from us.

Dally wanted to die. I watched him die. Suicide by police, was what Darry called it. I knew he wanted to die. But sometimes I wonder if in those last moments when the fiery bullets hit him, he wanted to seriously live? I was close enough to hear him mutter "Pony" when we got to him. Did he wanna live once he was on death bed, like Johnny? Or was his mind straight forward, he just said my name out of fear. Fear of me seeing the deaths of two friends.

One a hero.

One a hood.

Both greasers.

But now, a year later, we're all growing apart.

Soda spends more and more time with Steve. And Steve is drowning and taking my brother with him. Steve is drowning in hatred from his father, who kicks him out more often now-a-days. Soda is being dragged with him. After all, Balder was killed by his blind brother, only because of the prankster, Loki.

Then, Two-Bit, our wise cracker of the bunch, has stopped really caring for the gang all together. He's caring for his mother and little sister. He even got a job at his moms bar, he's almost twenty now and no one would care if he fixed their beer or Bloody Mary. Twenty-one is the real age, but who cares. He stopped coming by the house to visit, he kind of quit the gang all together. Two-Bit, the only reason, besides Soda, that Darry smiled, is gone.

Darry is still tough, he's twenty-one now, and he's on my case a lot too. I brought home a 95 on a test, he glanced at it and told me I could do better. True, a 95 ain't an A , but I'm trying as hard as I can, damn it! Darry isn't home much anymore, he'll get back at midnight and wake up at four. He'd leave, leaving me and Soda to fend for ourselves. He's now such a hard-ass after the funerals. He didn't cry. Actually, the last tear he shed was when Dally was shot in front of him. I'd tell Darry I was jumped and he said, "You ain't dead, go do homework" or something like that. I can't stand him no more.

Sometime's I wished I had really ran away. Without Dally or Johnny's help, so both would be alive and I'd be out in the country. I bet everyone would be happier, Darry and Soda being able to pay bills, Dally and Johnny alive and keeping Steve and Soda from drowning, and Two-Bit would be around to mess with Johnny and in the moment, mess with Darry. Darry would smile, Soda would joke, Steve would laugh, Two-Bit would kid, Johnny and Dallas would be together always, and me. I'd be in the country, watching clouds and sitting on the back of the Windrixville church. It'd still be there. I wouldn't drop a lit cigarette; it would be my home. I'd care for it and run off little country boys and chase rabbits and raccoons and deer. It'd be alone, a hobo if you want. I'd get a job in the little one horse store that Two-Bit could walk out of, carrying half of the store. I'd have food, shelter, entertainment, books... it's be paradise.

But how would Johnny feel? And Dallas? I'd be out hiding, and Dally and Johnny would be fighting to keep their lives. And a year ago, Dally said Two-Bit was ready to go to Texas to look fo me and Johnny. Would he be out looking for me? Or was it just Johnny he wanted? What did I really mean to the gang? Just a tag-along kid? Probably. Darry doesn't like me anymore, Soda cares, but not as much, Steve is Steve, hard and bad-ass, Two-Bit is gone, and Dallas and Johnny are truly gone. I wish that Soc didn't die. I wish I had run away without Johnny, and he and Dally would be alive. I would be out of their lives, and they'd be happy.

It's how it should be.

"_I thought we lost you like we did Mom and Dad..."_

Were those his true thoughts? Were those tears crocodile tears? An act for Soda? Was Soda acting for Darry? I'm not sure. Silently, I got up and shoved a few pairs of jeans and shirts in a bag and set it aside before lighting a cigarette. Taking a drag, I felt better. Slowly, I looked under my pillow and found a pocket knife I hid there a while ago and slid it in my pocket. I pulled on a coat and the bag was slung over my shoulder; I let out a sigh. I slid the window open silently and slipped through the crack before shutting it back. It was cold, but I could tough it out.

I made it to the lot and sat down, looking at the dirt and the holes in my shoes. I leaned against a wall and was close to going to sleep. There were footsteps and a hand on my shoulder. I jumped and fell backwards. When my vision improved, I looked at the guy, my eyes growing as I recognize him.

"Ponyboy, what are you doing?" he asked, rubbing my arm as he pulled me to my feet. "C'mon, you're freezing." He grabbed my wrist and led me to the main road. I saw he was taking me back to my house and I dug my heels in the ground, making him stop.

"Not, not home. Please, not yet," I begged the older greaser. He looked me up and down.

"How many outfits do you have?" he asked, pulling me closer. Being that close, I found he was shivering too.

"Three..." I whispered, leaning into his warmth.

"Tomorrow is Friday. Darry wont mind if you cut a day and spend the weekend with me, right?" he asked, which was more of a statement. I nodded, making him grin. "Alright, sleep-over it is." His arms wrapped around me as we walked down the street to his house, and I frowned, feeling guilty for not telling Darry I was leaving.

A familiar white house came into view and I forced a grin.

"C'mon, Pone, I'm shiverin'!" he yelped, picking up the pace. At his front door, he opened it and went in. "Shh, Mom and my sister are asleep. We can't pull out the couch bed tonight, so you can just sleep in my bed, alright?"

"Yeah..." I whispered as he pushed me to the stairs.

His room was a mess, like always, and I sat on his bed while he took off his coat. I realized why he was so cold–there was no shirt under his jacket. "How come you don't have a shirt on?" I asked him as he slid on an old T-shirt.

"I felt like something was wrong and kinda rushed out. I was surprised to find you in the lot on your lonesome." I watched him remove his jeans and sit down on the bed in his boxers. I took off my shirt and put it on my bag. I kicked off my shoes and laid down, trying not to take up much space. His bed was huge, mind you, but I felt awkward taking up a lot of space.

"G'night," I whispered, which I seemed to be doing a lot that night. I felt his hand on me and he pulled me further on the bed, then snuggled my back to his front.

"Take as much space as you need, kid," he told me, grinning, "cause you're no stranger in this household." I relaxed a little and let him hug me for warmth.

Suddenly, I felt bad about misjudging Two-Bit the way I did earlier. He just now showed me he still cared about my safety and was still the Two-Bit we all knew and loved.

"Thanks, Two-Bit," I said softly. I was hoping for an answer, but was greeted with a slight snore.

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Isn't that just warm and fuzzy? There were no parings, even if it looked like it.


	2. Chapter 2

Upon request: CONTINUED! Yay!

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When I woke up, Two-Bit's arms were still wrapped tightly around my chest and he was snoring rather loudly in my ear. I craned my neck to look at him and grinned. Then I noticed his door was wide open when I clearly remember him closing it last night. That was when I heard the little voice downstairs, talking to Two-Bit's mother.

"Mommy," it said and I knew it was Sarah, Two-Bit's little sister, "there's a strange boy in Keith's room sleeping with him." I chuckled. She sounded so cute. I've never met her, so I didn't know what she was like.

"Well, why don't you ask Keith who he is when he wakes up, hm?" I heard their mother say.

Turning my attention back to Two-Bit, I pried his arms off of me and wiggled away before he grabbed out again. I heard him mumble then flip over to face the door. Using the chance, I pulled off my jeans and slid on fresh ones from my bag, then pulled on a shirt. I grabbed his comb and gave my hair a quick run through and set it back in place. That was about the time I heard the older greaser grumble and fall off of the bed, then sit up with a start. He looked around until he saw me and grinned.

"Mornin', Ponyboy!" he greeted. I laughed at him and sat at the edge of his bed. Jumping up, he stretched out his arms and headed for the door. When he saw I wasn't following, he looked back and asked, "You comin', kid?"

"Shouldn't you get dressed?" I asked. Even Soda didn't run around like that when there are little kids, like Steve's little cousin, around. Two-Bit only shrugged.

"Naw, Sarah doesn't mind." I gave in and got up to follow. We got downstairs and was greeted with Sarah running at Two-Bit. She jumped in his arms and looked at me.

"Who is that boy?" she asked in the most innocent voice she could give.

"Sarah, meet Ponyboy," Two-Bit said and Sarah waved. He shifted her to his shoulders and headed for the kitchen, ducking in the doorway so he didn't hit his sister's head on the frame. I followed slowly behind with my fists shoved in my pockets. Their mother greeted me; I said a quick hello and sat in a chair. The phone rang and Two-Bit went over to answer it. He picked it up, but Sarah took it from his hand.

"Hello!" she squealed, "This is Sarah Mathews! How may I help you, please?" Two-Bit started laughing as well as his mother. She talked to the person for a while before squealing, "It's for you, Keith!" He took the phone.

"'Ello!" he mimicked, "This is Two-Bit Mathews! How may I help you, please?" I chuckled before he started again. "Oh, hey Darry, wassup?" I got up and went over to them and pressed my ear to the phone so I could hear too.

"_Ponyboy's missing..."_ I heard Darry moan. _"Have you seen him?" _

Two-Bit looked at me and winked. "Missin'? I'll keep my eye out for him."

"_Thanks, Two-Bit."_

"Do you know how long he's been gone?" Two-Bit asked, noticing how worried Darry sounded.

"_I... I don't know. Soda woke up and he wasn't there. God, I hope he's okay."_

"I bet he's fine, Dar," said Two-Bit in a soothing voice. "If he comes around, want me to get him to phone you?"

"_S-sure... that's fine. Thanks. I have to go. Soda and I are going out to look around."_

"Alright. I'll check the area around my house, so ya'll can cover more ground."

"_Thanks. Bye."_

"Later." He hung up and looked at me. "Call him later, 'kay?"

"I know," I sighed. He patted my shoulder and returned to the ice box he had left open. He took out a beer and grabbed the chocolate milk for me and Sarah. He got two glasses and filled them, handing one up to Sarah, still on his shoulders, and passed one to me. I thanked him and took a sip.

The front door opened and a figure ran in right to Two-Bit, not seeing me. It was Steve and I began to freak out. Quickly, I ducked into the pantry. I peeked out through the crack between the wall and the door.

"Two-Bit, Ponyboy's gone," he said.

"Too late, Steve. Darry already phoned me."

"Oh," he sighed and looked around. He was looking at the glass I left behind. "Who's that for?" he asked. Two-Bit looked at it and shot a quick look at the pantry. Steve didn't catch the look and I was thankful.

"You if you want it," he said, sipping his beer. Steve took it and took a long sip before setting it back down. Two-Bit's mother said something about going to work and grabbed Sarah from atop Two-Bit's shoulders. She kissed Two-Bit on the cheek and left. The pantry was dusty and it began flying around in my face. I needed to sneeze, but I held my nose and tried to hold it in. It was no use; I still sneezed through my mouth and Steve's eyes shot to the pantry. I quickly sank in the corner and tried to be as small as possible. It was no use cause Steve opened the door and looked around before spotting me.

"Ponyboy Curtis!" he yelled, grabbing my arm and dragging me out of the pantry. He shot me a death glare before looking at Two-Bit. "You were hiding him!" he yelled, grabbing Two-Bit too. "You two are so dead."

"Steve..." I groaned, "you're hurting me." I gave him an evil glare, making his eyes grow in surprise. That faze soon passed, cause he merely glared back.

"You're going back to Darry," he said. He looked at Two-Bit and said, "And you're going to explain what happened!" he ordered before dragging us towards the door. Two-Bit rolled his eyes before bringing his fist back and striking Steve across the face, making him fall and hit his head. He was knocked-out. I cocked my brow at Two-Bit.

"I don't like to be touched by ugly-ass guys!" he said, grinning.

Two-Bit and I moved him to the couch and covered him with a blanket. I ran upstairs to hide while Two-Bit took a seat next to him with the newspaper. I hid in Two-Bit's room and waited patiently. I heard Steve wake up after about half an hour and sat down behind the bed. I could hear them perfectly.

"What the fuck happened?" Steve groaned.

"You ran at the door thinking it was open. It wasn't." I chuckled.

"I thought... I thought I found Pony..." said Steve and I heard him get up. "I thought you were hiding him."

"That musta been some dream," Two-Bit said in a sly voice.

"Oh shit, I got to meet Soda at the DX. If you see Pony, tell him to come home." The front door opened and closed. I heard footsteps on the stairs and saw Two-Bit at the doorway.

"That's everyone. They're all looking for you."

"I know."

"Why did you run away in the first place?" he asked, grabbing a pair of jeans from the floor and jerking them on.

"I thought I wasn't needed."

"Looks like they want you back. Even Stevie-boy."

"That's what confuses me."

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Review please?


	3. Chapter 3

Kinda short but I was running out of ideas. Enjoy anyways.

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Time passed slowly, and I figured that sitting on Two-Bit's bed all day was boring. I had to sit in his room because the gang came in and out of the house all day. Steve visited a few more times, Soda came by during his lunch break, and Darry came by once. I listened to his and Two-Bit's conversation and I heard him almost crying. His hard voice was soft and it was shaking too. I felt bad, but I had to be away from that house for a while. Only a few days.

Finally, the gang stopped coming over and I was allowed downstairs, but only close to the stairs incase there was a surprise visit. I sat on the stairway with my legs dangling off of the edge and my head against the bars holding up the railing. Two-Bit grinned at me and handed me a beer.

"It'll settle your nerves," he said. I took a swig and almost gagged. It was horrible. Since he already had one and I didn't want to hurt his feelings, I took another sip and just swallowed it, trying not to taste it. After the first few sips, I got used to the foreign taste and drank more rapidly; taking bigger gulps. Two-Bit was laughing at me, "Want another?" he asked.

"S-sure," I hiccupped, smiling. He disappeared and returned in moments with a new beer. I finished off the one I was holding, set it on one of the steps, and took the new one from Two-Bit's hand. I opened it and took a long swig. Two-Bit sat down on the couch and turned on the TV to Mickey Mouse. I could hear it, but I couldn't see the TV.

"Pony, you should call Darry," Two-Bit ordered during a commercial. I got up and staggered down the stairs and into the kitchen. I grabbed the phone and quickly dialed the first six digits of my home phone number. My finger hovered over the seven and I glanced at Two-Bit, who was now next to me. I held the phone to him, a little afraid of Darry, but Two-Bit just took it, pressed it against my ear, and pushed my finger down on the seven. As it rang, he to my hand and made it hold the phone to my ear. He took a seat and waited. For some reason, I heard Tim Shepard's voice on the other line.

"_Curtis residence. Hired help Tim speaking."_ I laughed silently.

"Tim? I'm glad to hear from you and not Darry!" I told him. It was silent on the other end for a moment.

"_Ponyboy?"_ he asked. _"Pony, Darry is out looking for you."_

"Still?"

"_Yeah, still."_ There was a pause and in the background, I heard the door open and close. _"Wait, here's your brother."_

"Which one?"

"_Sodapop."_ I heard the phone being passed and a new voice on the other end.

"_Ponyboy?"_ he asked. His voice was cracked. _"Where are you?"_ I looked at Two-Bit, who had returned to the TV and turned it up. I heard cars and used that.

"Phone booth."

"_Who's house are you closest to?"_

"Two-Bit's."

"_Go to his house and stay there."_ And the phone was hung up. I sighed and hung up the phone. I went back to the living room and sat on the couch next to Two-Bit.

"What's the deal, Pony?" he asked.

"Soda is coming."

Both of us waited, looking at the door and waiting. Sodapop threw open the door after about ten minutes from the call and looked around. When he saw me on the couch, he ran to em and brought me into a hug. I looked at him for a moment.

"Why did you run away?" he asked.

"Does Darry know where I am?

"Answer me, Pony."

"Answer _me_, Sodapop." Soda looked at me, then at Two-Bit.

"No."

"I want to stay for a while. One more day."

"Alright, but answer my question. Why did you run away?"

"I needed to get away for a while. Just let me stay. I'll be safe. I'll be with Two-Bit at all times."

"Except when I'm showering," Two-Bit put in. "And at bars."

"Not when you're using the bathroom?" Soda asked, snickering.

"I don't care." He got up and headed for the kitchen. "If he wants to watch me take a shit, he's welcome to. Wanna beer, Soda?"

"No thanks," Sod said, and turned back to me. "Pony, I'm going to tell Darry you're here and I'm going to promise him you'll call him. I'll make him promise he wont flip and attack Two-Bit or something either."

"Thanks, Soda." Soda got up, ruffled my hair, and went to the door.

"Just make sure you stay with Two-Bit."

"Yessir."

"I'm going to tell Steve where you are too. He was looking for you too."

"Okay." Soda waved and walked out, shutting the door behind him. I looked back at Two-Bit who was in the doorway, holding a beer out to me. I got to my feet and went to him, grabbing the beer as I passed him.

"That went better than expected."

"But I don't think once Darry finds out it'll stay like that."

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Review please. 


	4. Chapter 4

After a long writers block, and a rough end of February, this is finally up. I hope y'all didn't give up hope on me now.

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**Soda's POV**

Sittin' on our couch was hard to do by myself, that's why I was thankful for Tim being there. He may not be in our gang, but he's still a friend. I told him where Ponyboy was and he was thankful that he wasn't out in the wild. Then, we decided to drop the subject. We talked for a while about some of the most random stuff until Steve walked in, covered in thick blood and bruisin'.

"Steve!" I yelled, getting up and going to him. Slowly, I helped him to the armchair and sat him down. I went to the kitchen to get a wet rag while Steve and Tim talked.

"It's all that little brat's fault. If he wasn't missing like last time, I wouldn't look like this," I heard him tell Tim.

"That's not the truth and you know it," Tim scolded.

"Don't say stuff that isn't true, Tim. You know if Ponyboy wasn't out there, I wouldn't have gone to Soc territory looking for him."

"You went to Soc territory?" Tim asked. I was getting the first aid kit, goin' as slow as possible to hear more.

"Hell yeah. What if the Socs kidnaped him? You know what they do to little, vulnerable boys. One word. Rape."

"I know, but..."

"Tim, just shut up." I knew that tone in my best friend's voice and if I didn't get in there quick, Tim would need his own operatin' table. I went in and knelt next to Steve and began wipin' the blood from his face. "How much of that did you hear?" he asked me while I wiped his forehead.

"Most of it," I told him, grabbin' his arm and wipin' it down. Tim was looking at me with a look in his eye that told me if I didn't tell Steve where Pony was, he'd kill me.

"If only someone knew where that little bitch is..." Steve trailed off.

"I do. Tim does too." Steve's eyes met mine and I saw something that looked like relief and anger all in one.

"You do? Where the hell is he?"

"I won't tell you yet. Not till you promise not to kill him or the person he's hidin' out with."

"I promise. Now tell me where the bitch is."

"Stop callin' my little brother a bitch, Stevie-boy." I threw the box of bandages at him and took the rag back to the kitchen. I came back and Steve had himself covered in bandages.

"Where is he?" he asked.

"Two-Bit's house. He wants to stay for another day. He told me he needed some time away from here. I'm not gonna stop him."

"Darry will."

"Darry will what?" we heard as the door opened. Darry himself entered, lookin' a little tired. I noticed the cut on his hand that he was massagin'.

"Darry will promise not to kill Sodapop and Ponyboy when Sodapop tells Darry where Ponyboy is," I said, using third person. Darry's eyes grew.

"Where is he?"

"Promise not to kill Ponyboy or me." His hand flew behind his head to scratch it, something he did often, and looked around.

"I promise."

"Pony is with Two-Bit." Suddenly, Darry exposed his hand, showing that his fingers were crossed.

"I'm going to kill Two-Bit and Ponyboy both," he announced, headin' out the door.

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**Ponyboy's POV**

Both Two-Bit and I were sitting on his couch, watching TV when out of nowhere, there was a bang at the door. Two-Bit leapt up and went to the door. He opened it and was met with a large hand grabbing him by his collar. Darry owned the large hand, I found out when he carried Two-Bit back in. Two-Bit struggled to get free, kicking a little in the air.

"You were hiding Ponyboy from me even when I came by?!" he yelled his question.

"L-let... me go. I... can't breathe..." Two-Bit gasped. I was staring in awe, watching Two-Bit kick his legs. It felt like I was frozen in place. Then I jumped up and grabbed Darry's hands. I tried to remove his hands from Two-Bit's neck.

"Darry, you're going to kill him!" I yelled. One hand came free only to accidentally sock me in the face, hard. The bad thing was that it was a closed fist. I fell to the floor about the same time Two-Bit did; Darry had dropped him. Instantly, both of them were beside me. Two-Bit was coughing and Darry was holding my face and looking at it.

"Ponyboy, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to," he said, tilting my head back and looking at my nose. I could feel the blood trickling down the side of my face and over my lips. Darry groaned and looked at Two-Bit, who was quiet.

"Dar," Two-Bit said after looking at me, "you broke his nose." My blood ran cold.

"W-what?" I asked. I sounded funny from the blood in my nose.

"Ponyboy," Darry said, tilting my head back to face him. "I'm going to have to pop your nose back in place. Bear with me, alright." I nodded. He put the sleeve of his coat in my mouth and I wanted to know why. Slowly, he put the bases of his thumbs on either side of my nose sending a shock of pain through my face. I bit down on the sleeve, finding out why he gave it to me. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yes," my muffled voice said. Two-Bit's arm was under my hand, and I grasped onto it. I suddenly heard a loud crack; my teeth shot down onto the sleeve and my hand squeezed Two-Bit's arm. I spit out the sleeve and held my nose in my free hand. I silently screamed with my eyes clenched shut and my hand leaving bruises on Two-Bit.

"Pony, you okay?" Darry asked, stroking my hair.

"Yes," I squeaked out. Flaring my nostrils, I felt the pain still. "Ow..." I pulled my hand off of Two-Bit's arm. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

Slowly, I got to my feet and went to the kitchen, staggering and holding my nose gently. I reached in the ice box for an ice cube, then pressed it to my nose. I felt it numbing quickly. Darry had followed me in there with worry painted on his face.

"Why did you run away?" he asked, pulling my into his chest.

"I needed to get out. I needed to think." I felt him take a big sigh before resting his chin on my head.

"Was it something I did?" _Yes_, I though,_ it was_.

"No... it wasn't you." We paused for a moment. His breathing was low against my back and I felt safe against my brother. But sometimes it smothered me and I needed out. Two-Bit was carefree and playful, someone I liked to hang out with.

"Do you want to stay another day?" Darry asked slowly. I was appalled. I didn't think he'd offer for me to stay another day.

"Yeah."

"Alright. Tomorrow is Sunday, come home at the end of the day tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure thing, Dar." He released me and went back to the living room. I heard him apologize to Two-Bit, who accepted instantly. Then, he told him I would be staying for an extra day. Two-Bit gave a small okay. The door opened and shut followed by Two-Bit joining me in the kitchen.

"That wasn't so bad."

"You didn't get your nose broken."

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This might be the last chapter unless I get another idea for what will happen next chapter. Anyone got any ideas? I'm open for them.


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